24th February

As has been the case for most of this winter yesterday's storm proved to be a fleeting visitor and today saw the rapid return of light winds and pleasant sunshine. There were more signs of early passage, notably in the form of 11 Common Scoter, 10 Red-throated Divers, 2 Velvet Scoter and a Great Northern Diver through off the Bill and a Yellow-legged Gull grounded there. The Hume's Warbler took advantage of the improved conditions and showed a little more often at Thumb Lane, with 5 Purple Sandpipers and 2 Short-eared Owls at the Bill and 2 Eider and a Sandwich Tern at Portland Harbour also getting mentions on the day's list.

Thanks to Mike Trew for some photos from today - Fulmar and Purple Sandpiper at the Bill:

...and to Ken Dolbear for a few bugs from the Obs garden - both the winter form (upper photo) and spring forms (lower photo) of the Green Shieldbug and the hoverfly Eristalis pertinax: